Overview
- Relatives of the victims and New York officials gathered Thursday at Hudson River Park to remember the six killed and to urge Congress to pass the Helicopter Safety Parity Act.
- Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Nicole Malliotakis introduced the bill Thursday to require cockpit voice and flight data recorders and terrain awareness technology on sightseeing helicopters.
- The proposal targets operators that fly under FAA Part 91 using a 25-mile same-area exemption, which places tour flights under looser rules and less frequent inspections than commercial standards.
- The NTSB has not issued a final cause for the April 10, 2025 crash, which broke a Bell 206 apart mid-flight and killed pilot Sean Johnson and a Spanish family of five.
- New York Helicopter Tours shut down within a week of the crash, and officials note that roughly 30,000 Manhattan tour flights each year heighten the need for stronger oversight.